Indian police set to interrogate Starlink regarding drug smuggling, says Reuters
Authorities will request information from Elon Musk’s company following the use of its satellite internet service to facilitate the importation of methamphetamine into the country. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
According to a high-ranking officer, individuals involved in trafficking meth into India utilized Elon Musk's satellite internet service.
Indian police are poised to reach out to Starlink for details after smugglers employed the satellite service to transport methamphetamines valued at $4.25 billion into the nation, as reported by Reuters.
In a significant operation last week, security forces on India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands discovered 6,000 kilograms of meth on a boat that had come from Myanmar, marking the largest seizure of this nature to date. Authorities detained six Myanmar nationals in connection with the suspected smuggling.
Hargobinder S. Dhaliwal, a senior police officer in the Andaman Islands, stated to Reuters, “They were using Starlink [for navigation] since their journey started from Myanmar.” He indicated plans to reach out to Elon Musk’s company to obtain information about the device's purchaser, the timing of the purchase, and its usage history.
“This [case] is different because it is bypassing all the legal channels. They directly operated [phones] with satellites, creating a Wi-Fi hotspot,” Dhaliwal elaborated.
Law enforcement agencies are now examining potential links to local or international criminal networks involved in the meth smuggling operation. The investigation will consider all aspects, according to the officer.
Starlink has not yet issued a comment regarding the situation. However, it has previously noted that its coverage in territorial waters is subject to government approval.
The use of Starlink by the smugglers coincides with the company's impending launch in India.
Last month, Indian Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia mentioned that Musk’s company was pursuing security clearance to provide satellite broadband services in India. “When you check all the boxes, you get the license. If [Starlink] do that, we will be very happy,” Scindia said.
This development follows an October decision by the Indian government to allocate spectrum for satellite broadband administratively, rather than through an auction, which had been a point of contention with Musk’s rival, Indian telecom billionaire Mukesh Ambani, who had previously advocated for an auction.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
Indian police are poised to reach out to Starlink for details after smugglers employed the satellite service to transport methamphetamines valued at $4.25 billion into the nation, as reported by Reuters.
In a significant operation last week, security forces on India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands discovered 6,000 kilograms of meth on a boat that had come from Myanmar, marking the largest seizure of this nature to date. Authorities detained six Myanmar nationals in connection with the suspected smuggling.
Hargobinder S. Dhaliwal, a senior police officer in the Andaman Islands, stated to Reuters, “They were using Starlink [for navigation] since their journey started from Myanmar.” He indicated plans to reach out to Elon Musk’s company to obtain information about the device's purchaser, the timing of the purchase, and its usage history.
“This [case] is different because it is bypassing all the legal channels. They directly operated [phones] with satellites, creating a Wi-Fi hotspot,” Dhaliwal elaborated.
Law enforcement agencies are now examining potential links to local or international criminal networks involved in the meth smuggling operation. The investigation will consider all aspects, according to the officer.
Starlink has not yet issued a comment regarding the situation. However, it has previously noted that its coverage in territorial waters is subject to government approval.
The use of Starlink by the smugglers coincides with the company's impending launch in India.
Last month, Indian Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia mentioned that Musk’s company was pursuing security clearance to provide satellite broadband services in India. “When you check all the boxes, you get the license. If [Starlink] do that, we will be very happy,” Scindia said.
This development follows an October decision by the Indian government to allocate spectrum for satellite broadband administratively, rather than through an auction, which had been a point of contention with Musk’s rival, Indian telecom billionaire Mukesh Ambani, who had previously advocated for an auction.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
